Pregnancy Development in the Second Trimester

The second trimester of your pregnancy is an important development stage for your baby, and you may begin to notice more changes in your body. As the fetus grows, your abdomen will too, and you may need to put away your normal clothes in exchange for your first maternity outfits. During this time, you will hit a significant point in your pregnancy--the halfway mark.

Time Frame

The second trimester is the time from week 13 to week 27 in your gestational period. If you are counting by months, this will be months four to six. At week 20, you will reach the halfway point.

Significance

During the second trimester, your baby will develop at an amazing rate. According to the Mayo Clinic, the baby will begin week 13 with the development of his intestines. The following week, the sex becomes apparent, and your doctor may be able to do an ultrasound, so you can know if you are expecting a boy or a girl. In week 15, you can see the bones of the skeleton on the ultrasound. In week 16, the baby can make facial expressions. At 18 weeks, the baby can hear. In the remaining weeks of the second pregnancy trimester, your baby will grow hair, fingernails, fingerprints and footprints.

Size

At the beginning of the second trimester, your baby will weigh an average of 2.47 oz. and will be 3.98 in. long, according to the Pregnancy website. By the end of the trimester, the baby will grow to an average of 1.9 lbs. and be 14.4 in. long. Around week 20, your doctor may begin measuring your fundal height, which is the distance of your pubic bone to the top of your uterus. This can help the doctor evaluate the baby's growth, height and position.

Features

You may begin feeling the baby move in your second trimester. This usually occurs around your fifth month of pregnancy, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. The organization also reports you may begin seeing new or different symptoms of your pregnancy. These can include gaining weight--you will gain around 4 lbs. in blood volume. Varicose veins may appear, as well as stretch marks. You may see changes to your skin, such as a dark line running from your belly button down your abdomen, a flush or natural blush on your cheeks and brownish markings across your face. Your breasts may begin to grow in size if they didn't in the first trimester, and you may begin secreting a yellowish fluid called colostrum.

Warnings

While you may feel better in the second trimester than you did in your first, you still need to be mindful of potential problems. In the second trimester, you can still miscarry or you can go into pre-term labor, according to the Pregnancy website. For the most part, you can relax and enjoy the realness your growing belly can bring. If you experience any symptoms for either condition, which include vaginal discharge and cramping, call your health care provider immediately.

Photo Credit

• Summer pregnancy image by dpaint from Fotolia.com